Family Office Operations Manager

The Family Office Operations Manager is the first and foundational hire for a Family Office embedded within Wildfire Defense Systems (“WDS”). This is a highly trusted role, responsible for running the day-to-day accounting and operations of the Family Office. The Family Office Operations Manager will work directly with the WDS Corporate Controller and the Family Principal(s), with a time allocation of 50% to the WDS Finance and Accounting department and 50% to the Family Office. This role will serve as the primary point of contact for the Family's professional advisors, property managers, and other service providers. The primary work location will be the WDS corporate office, within the Finance and Accounting department. However, this role’s primary responsibility is specific to serving the Family, and secondarily WDS, and will involve offsite work locations depending on the needs of the Family / Family Office. This is not a management role overseeing an existing team. It is a builder and implementer role: the Family Office Operations Manager will establish systems, create processes, and take ownership of all Family Office functions. This person will own and perform the functions within the operational pillars of the Family Office — not just coordinate them. They will be the institutional memory of the Family Office, the keeper of its processes, and the first line of accountability. The person in this role must have significant experience in accounting, tax, and business operations. Success in this role means that the Family can step back from day-to-day administrative and operational tasks with full confidence that nothing falls through the cracks. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES WDS Finance and Accounting Department (50% time allocation) Act as the primary liaison between the Family Office and WDS and its’ operating companies concerning all operational matters such as project coordination, inter-entity invoicing, project reconciliations, tax analysis, tax planning, and tax strategy. Work closely with WDS accounting staff to assist in and reconcile monthly and quarterly intercompany invoices to the Family Office. Maintain detailed working papers on a monthly or quarterly basis, converting all required general ledger account data into tax-oriented working papers that flow through to quarterly tax analysis and estimated tax liabilities and payment requirements for WDS and its’ related operating companies. Maintain and update as required, the tax planning and calculation spreadsheets for each WDS and related company, to include current tax rates by tax type and state, forecasted revenue apportionment by state, forecasted EBITDA by state, period to date payments or credits applied, and remaining estimated taxes due. Coordinate WDS and related company quarterly estimated tax payments with the Corporate Controller preparation Ensure that WDS and related entity tax strategies are congruent with Family Office tax strategies Track and coordinate all annual entity filings for WDS and related entities, franchise taxes, registered agent renewals, and state compliance requirements Work closely with the WDS Director of Administrative Services to establish cadence of standard communications, meetings, processes, and procedures as required. Other duties as assigned by the WDS Corporate Controller Family Office Operations and Accounting (50% time allocation) 1. Accounting & Financial Operations Own all bookkeeping for Family entities and personal/household accounts Manage all bill pay functions: invoice receipt, coding, approval routing, payment execution, and confirmation Prepare and distribute the monthly financial package by the 15th of each month, including net worth summary, income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow Maintain detailed working papers on a quarterly basis, converting all required general ledger account data into tax-oriented working papers that flow through to quarterly tax analysis and estimated tax liability and payment requirements for Family Office and Family Principal(s). Coordinate quarterly estimated tax payments with the Corporate Controller and External CPA/Firm; initiate and con firm payments on schedule Reconcile all bank, credit card, and investment accounts monthly Maintain organized, complete books ready for External CPA/Firm year-end review and tax preparation Other duties as assigned by the Family Principal(s). 2. Tax Coordination Maintain the annual Tax Document Checklist and coordinate collection of all W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, brokerage statements, and charitable receipts Deliver a complete, organized tax document package to External CPA/Firm by the agreed date each year Track all federal and state tax filing deadlines across all entities; coordinate with External CPA/Firm on extensions Support Corporate Controller and External CPA/Firm in implementing planning strategies: confirm year-end transactions are executed, track contributions, and document planning decisions Participate in tax planning meetings with Corporate Controller and External CPA/Firm and Family Principal(s) as needed 3. Entity & Legal Administration / Governance Maintain the master Entity Register for all LLCs, trusts, partnerships, and other entities Track and coordinate all annual entity filings for Family Office entities, franchise taxes, registered agent renewals, and state compliance requirements Serve as the operational liaison to legal counsel for administrative and compliance matters Maintain organized digital files of all formation documents, operating agreements, trust documents, etc. 4. Risk Management, Insurance & Internal Controls Implement and enforce the Family Office's internal controls framework: segregation of duties, payment approval protocols, dual-authorization procedures Maintain the insurance renewal calendar for Family insurance policies; coordinate annual policy reviews with Family insurance broker Ensure all cybersecurity protocols are followed: MFA on all accounts, password manager usage, wire transfer verification procedures Conduct annual reviews of vendor access for all Family locations and personal properties, employee access, and account permissions 5. Property & Asset Administration Maintain and coordinate property tax payment schedules across all Family property locations and personally owned properties Manage vendor relationships and track service agreements, insurance certificates, and renewal dates for each Family-owned property Coordinate with existing property managers; track Family capital projects and budgets 6. Advisor Coordination Serve as the primary operational contact for the Family's professional advisors: CPA, estate attorney, insurance broker, and others Prepare materials, coordinate schedules, and follow up on action items from advisor meetings Maintain a current contact list with all advisor names, firms, contacts, and scope of service Ensure that advisors are receiving the information they need from the Family Office, and that the Family is receiving the information they need from them 7. Household & Lifestyle Support Support existing property manager in managing household and administrative needs as directed by Family Principal(s) Assist with mail and paperwork organization, errand coordination, and other personal assistant functions as directed Provide financial education to younger Family members as directed by Family Principal(s) Coordinate the delivery of other needed services to the Family Principal(s) as they arise 8. Systems, Process & Documentation Build and maintain the Family Office's document management structure in M365 SharePoint, utilizing the same file naming and organization schema that is utilized by WDS. Maintain and refine the Family Office's existing SOPs and process documentation on an ongoing basis, utilizing the same formats and policy organization utilized by WDS. Identify opportunities to automate, streamline, or improve operational workflows Maintain all registers, trackers, and calendars used by the Family Office in implementation of services REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Education Bachelor's degree required; degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field strongly preferred Master’s degree in taxation is a significant plus CPA, CMA, or equivalent professional designation is a significant plus Experience Minimum 1 0+ years of relevant experience in one or more of the following: family office / private client accounting, public accounting (tax or audit), or CFO/Controller function for a private entity or family-owned business Direct experience in a family office or ultra-high-net-worth personal CFO environment is highly preferred Demonstrated experience managing multi-entity accounting: LLCs, partnerships, trusts, and personal/household accounts Experience preparing or coordinating financial statements, management reports, and year-end tax packages Meaningful exposure to estate and trust administration, or direct work with estate planning attorneys and CPAs in a coordination capacity Prior experience as a first hire or in a startup / build-from-scratch environment is a strong differentiator Significant (5 years or more) tax analysis and tax preparation experience in multi-entity and multi-national LLC’s, partnerships, trusts, and/or non-profits. Experience in co-developing (along with other tax team members) family office tax strategy is a significant plus. Experience in foreign country tax treatment of family holdings, particularly Canadian taxation is a significant plus. Technical Skills Proficiency in accounting software: QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Sage Intacct, or comparable platform. Strong preference for Sage Intacct or other AICPA recommended ERP software. Strong understanding of GAAP and utilization of GAAP principles applicable to family office reporting. Experience in setting up and maintaining ERP systems. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, financial modeling, reconciliations) Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 environment: Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive Familiarity with online banking and treasury platforms used by private banks and custodians Working knowledge of federal and state tax compliance requirements: 1040, 1041, 1065, K-1s, PTET, and estimated taxes Experience with document management systems; ability to build and maintain an organized digital filing structure Personal Competencies Discretion & Confidentiality: Absolute trustworthiness with highly sensitive personal and financial information; the highest standard of confidentiality is non-negotiable. Ownership Orientation: Takes initiative, anticipates needs, and follows through without being asked; treats this role as their own operation to build and run. Precision & Attention to Detail: Zero tolerance for errors in financial data, deadlines, or documentation; brings meticulous care to every task. Communication and Relationship Driven: Communicates clearly, professionally, and appropriately with Family Principals, WDS employees, and outside advisors to ensure effective relationships; adapts style to audience. Prioritization: Manages a high volume of concurrent tasks and deadlines without dropping anything; knows when to escalate and when to execute. Calm Under Pressure: Handles complexity and competing demands with steadiness; does not require handholding in ambiguous situations. Systems Thinker: Sees the whole landscape, builds processes that scale, and documents work so the family office is never dependent on any single person's memory. SEARCH PROCESS All inquiries should be directed to the contact information below : Mackenzie Harrison mharrison@wildfire-defense.com About Wildfire Defense Systems, Inc. Wildfire Defense Systems (WDS) is the North American leader in insurer wildfire services, combining professional wildfire consulting and loss intervention services with Qualified Insurance Resources (QIR). Founded in 2001 to fulfill initial-attack assignments for the US Forest Service, the company added professional services support in 2005 and launched wildfire loss- intervention programs for insurers in 2008. WDS Wildfire Loss Intervention Service (WDS Service) applies a comprehensive approach to reducing risk in catastrophic exposure on an industry scale, decreasing the average annual loss (AAL) for our insur er clients, and providing peace of mind to their policy holders during wildfire events. WDS provides these industry - leading services to insurer clients and their policy holders across a 22-state service area.